Windows Rights Management

Microsoft Windows© Rights Management Services (RMS) for Windows Server 2003 is information protection technology that works with RMS-enabled applications to help safeguard digital information from unauthorized useboth online and offline, inside and outside of the firewall.

RMS augments an organization's security strategy by protecting information through persistent usage policies, which remain with the information, no matter where it goes. Organizations can use RMS to help prevent sensitive informationsuch as financial reports, product specifications, customer data, and confidential e-mail messagesfrom intentionally or accidentally being sent to the wrong recipients.

Overview

Windows RMS includes the server technology that handles certificates and licensing, a desktop update, and software development kits (SDKs). Combining Windows Server 2003 features, developer tools, and industry security technologiesincluding encryption, certificates, and authenticationRMS helps organizations create reliable information protection solutions.

Safeguard Sensitive Information. Applications such as word processors, e-mail clients, and line-of-business applications can be RMS-enabled to help safeguard sensitive information. Information workers can choose from a variety of usage rights to define exactly how the recipient can use the information and for how long. They can define who can open, modify, print, forward and/or take other actions with the information. Organizations can create custom usage policy templates such as "Confidential - Read Only" that can be applied directly to the information.
Persistent Protection. RMS augments existing perimeter-based security solutions, such as firewalls and access control lists (ACLs), for better information protection by locking the usage rights within the document itself, controlling how information is used even after it has been opened by intended recipients.
Flexible and Customizable Technology. Independent software vendors and developers can RMS-enable any application or enable other servers, such as content management systems or portal servers running on Windows or other platforms, to work with RMS to help safeguard sensitive information.

Benefit Scenarios

A company manager has access to the online sales system. She pulls up sales information about last quarter's unit sales using her browser. Because the information is sensitive, specific restrictions have been applied to the report: She cannot print, copy, or paste the data. RMS helps the company protect its sensitive quarterly sales data from accidental or deliberate leaks before its official earnings announcement.

A CEO needs to send an e-mail message that contains confidential information about an upcoming reorganization to his executive staff. In Microsoft Office Outlook^® 2003, he selects a template to specify that recipients can only read the e-mail message, and that they cannot copy, paste, edit, or forward the information. The recipients receive the e-mail message in Outlook 2003, with the usage policies automatically applied to the message. The CEO has a new level of confidence that this sensitive information will be viewed only by his executive staff.

To learn more about Microsoft Windows Rights Management please contact CMS or visit Microsoft's Website - click here.